Fuel stations are not sited in the forest in advanced countries – Prosper Bani

A former interior minister under former president John Mahama, Mr. Prosper Bani has stated that the closure of fuel stations in residential areas could not be the panacea to the rampant fire disasters.

His comments come in the wake of government’s decision to raise war on fuel stations in residential and commercial areas that pose threat to their respective communities.

In an exclusive interview with ghanacrusader.com, Mr. Prosper Bani who is an expert on Crisis Prevention, Management and Recovery stated that in advance countries, advance methods are used to secure fuel stations located in commercial or residential areas for customers to have easy access.

‘’In advance countries we don’t travel into the forest to fill our tanks, you don’t travel to a desert area to go and fill your tank. It is about the advance form of securing this places around residential areas where customers can have access to filling the tanks. We need to have periodic assessment.’’ He stated.

The onetime Chief of Staff to former president Mahama further stated that a more preventive mechanism should be appropriate in preventing explosions such as the one that occurred at the Atomic Junction instead of total closure.

‘’we must ensure that activities that may trigger the disasters must have the necessary preventive mechanism, must have the necessary disaster response mechanism, and must be regulated. When people are at fault the law must take its place.’’ He added.

A gas explosion at the Atomic Junction near Madina on Saturday October 6th resulted in the death of 7 and injuring over 100 persons.

Following the disaster, a cabinet’s meeting on Thursday October 12 saw the introduction of nine safety measures to ensure sanity within the fuel distribution chain nationwide, and ostensibly to curb explosions.

Key among these measures includes the impending closure of high-risk fuel stations across the country within 30-days, and the halting of the construction of new petrol/diesel and LPG filling points nationwide.